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J. P. M HAIW'H'QIY IMPREGNAT ION OF WASTE WITH LUBRICA'IING OIL Feb. 12' 19240 Original Filed March '7, 1921 Patented Feb. 12, 1924..

UNITED STATES PAT JAMES P. MCCARTHY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, BSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MAGHINERY COMPANY, 0]? CIIl'CINNATtlI, OHIO, it CORPORATION OHIO.

IMPEEG'NATION 01F WASTE "WITH LUBRIGATING 013D.

Application filed March 7, 1921, Serial No. MO e80. Renewed July 9, 19%.

To all whom it may concern:

B it known that I, JAMns P. MoCAn'iu-ir, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Eltate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Impregnation of Waste l Vith Lubricating Oil, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the preparation of waste material for use as a lubricant in the journal bones of railway cars and the like. The invention has particular relation to the impregnation of such waste material with the lubricating oil and is capable of use not only in the impregnation of new waste but also in the impregnation of reclaimed old waste, as will more fully hereafter appear.

Journal box waste is composed of either woolen or cotton fibres or a mixture of the two. The fibres of wool and cotton, upon a microscopic examination, are found to be of peculiar form. Ripe cotton fibres are of hollow flattened tubular form, with the flattoned tube irregularly twisted which enables the fibres to readily interlock with each other and giving strands of the interlocked fibres great strength. Woolen fibres are of minute cellular form with the outer surface covered with minute scales all pointing in the same direction, and the strength oi? woolen fabric is due to the interlocking of these scales and the resultant interlocking of neighboring fibres.

In the preparation of waste material for use in car journal boxes it is necessary to impregnate the waste with lubricating oil. The impregnation must be thorough to the extent that the waste should contain as much lubricating material as it can be made to carry, but without excess of tree lubri cant which will drip or drain therefrom. In other words, the waste should not be perceptibly wet with oil, but should carry the oil so fully intermingled or interlocked with its fibres that it will be practically dry, but ready to give up its lubricant as it is needed when in use in the journal box.

Prior methods of impregnation of waste with lubricating oil have been unsucccsstui due to the inability of such methods to work the oil into the interior of the tubes in the case of the cotton and into the cells and beneath the scales in the case of the wool. The present invention has for its object to secure a more thorough and efficient impregnation of the waste with lubricating oil. It is capable of use not only in the impregnation of new waste but also in the impregnation of what is known as reclaimed waste, to wit, waste which has already been used and which by suitable methods has been freed from short fibres and foreign material, such as sand and metal particles, and has been substantially freed from its oil content-such a reclaimed journal box waste, for example, as is described in my prior application for method of reclaiming waste, filed October 21, 1918, Serial Number 259,119.

In the drawings, the View represents a sectional elevation of one suitable form or apparatus for carrying out the method.

According to prior practice the waste to be impregnated is dumped into a largewat containing lubricating oil and is agitated or turned over and over in said vat by mov ing it around with poles. The eilie'ct has been uncertain and inefficient due to the fact that the material mats together and the ef- Lteot is to merely coat with oil. the outside of a mass or lump, without material penetration of the oil into or between the fibres. its a consequence, waste of this chin-actor soon loses its oil content because the oil is not incorporated into the fibres and readily drains off.

According to my invention the waste is immersed in an oil bath and while in contact therewith is squeezed together so as to expel the minute air bubbles contained in the tubes of the cotton fibres or in the cells or beneath. the scales of tho woolen fibres, and then withdrawn from the oily bath carrying; some of the oil with it, so that the oil flows into the cells and cavities to replace the air. The mass is then again in'unersed in the oil and squeezed. this step being]; to peated over and over again. ".l lic result is to repeatedly squeeze out the air bubbles and gradual ly allow the oil to work its way into the minute cavities and cells of the material, whereby the oil penetrates into the fibres and does not merely coat the outside of a mass or merely lodp e between the fibres thereof.

The eli'ect is best obtained in a suitable mechanism. such as the one shown in the drawing, where said mechanism is of the general type of an ordinary, \VPtShll'lg inati b lllli lllltl chine, the drawing showing such a machine conventionally merely for the purposes of illustration. This machine comprises an outer casing or tub 1 containing the bath of lubricating oil, and which may be heated in any suitable manner, such as by the steam pipes 2. In said jacket or tub is a rotatable cylinder 3 having a door t through which the material is charged and Withdrawn. Said cylinder is formed of perforated or foraminous material and is provided on its interior with a number of baffles of shelves 5. The cylinder is rotated in any suitable manner, either constantly in the same direction or alternately in opposite directions, at a relatively slow speed.

The effect is to alternately subn'ierge and uncover the mass or masses of waste. Each baiilc in turn picks up a mass of the waste and carries it out. of the oil bath, the level of which is approximately at or below the cylinder axis. As the material moves upwardly the oil drains off and the material packs together so that the oil is forced into the cavities and cells of the fibres. Finally the mass of waste drops from the batlie into the oil bath. As it impinges upon the surface thereof it is squeezed together by impact and its own weight, thereby promoting penetration of the oil. The agitation in the mass then opens up the material so that additional oil flows into the cells and cavities. When it is again raised the oil enters the fibres and the next drop expels further air i isasee bubbles. The finished product is allowed to drain to remove excess oil.

This method is found to thoroughly im pregnate waste in a remarkably short period oi time with considerably more eilirient results than prior methods.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of impregnating fibrous waste with oil from an oil bath, consisting in repeatedly removing a mass of the waste in loose form from the oil bath and thereby allowing it to compact and the oil to drain therefrom and run into the cavities and cells of the fibres, and repeatedly restoring, the mass in loose form to the oil bath. thereby exerting a squeezing action upon the waste and forcing additional oil to penetrate the cells and cavities of the fibres.

2. The method of impregnating fibrous waste with oil from an oil bath, ('(HlSlSljlllfl in repeatedly removing a mass of the waste in loose form from the oil bath and thereby allowing it to compact and the oil to drain therefrom and run into the cavities and cells of the fibres, and repeatedly eausingr the mass of waste in loose form to freely plunge into the oil bath, whereby upon each impact with the oil bath a squeezing effect is ex erted upon the mass of waste to force a dditional oil to penetrate the cells and cavities of the fibres and displace air therefrom.

In testimony whereof I hereby atiix my signature.

JAMES P. MoCAR-THY. 

